Wichita eagle., 1887-08-28
THE BOYS OF LONDON.
LITTLE CHAPS WITH "POT HATS"
AND OTHERS WITH NONE AT ALL.


hood-The Jolly Youngsters of Christ
Church-Bootblacks In Uniform-Lon.
don Newsboys-TelegraphS Messengers.
Next to the number Of uniforms and
liveries seen on the streets and in the byways
of London life, nothing strikes an American
visitor more than the sight of tail silk hats,
spot hats" worn by the small London school
boys. After son Of parents in any respect
able grade of life is old enough to attend any
good school he is made to dress in as digni-
fed q way as if he were q member of parlia-
ment. Dress counts for so much in England
1t is the general and correct guide to ones
station in life. The poor English boys who
are condemned to wear pot hats from early
infancy Of course can never have any real
childhood. Imagine full blooded boy start
ing out for good time wearing stifay
starched shirt collar and high silk hat
These pot hated boys early acquire stiff
dignity of manner which harmonizes with
their hats. They never relax except when
they are actually in the country. Then the
poor lads go wild and decline to wear any
hats at all. They are like their grown up
brothers. They pass from one extreme to
the other. The Englishman in town is a
model of stiffness and angularity. In the
country he is ready for any rough bout Of
rollicking that any one may propose.
I have seen these silk hated boys every
where in London. A person familiar with
the London schools can tell exactly where
boy belongs by his dress. In the preparing
schools for the University small roundabout
jackets are worn until the boys are promoted
to certain class, and then they wear swal-
low tail coats until they graduate. Some
times tall lanky boy, who is behindin his
studies, will be seen wearing roundabout in
company with little bit Of fellow who
wears the sign of scholastic superiority in the
shape of long tailed coat The other morn
ing saw an elderly gentleman walking with
a boy who was at least feet 10 inches in
height This boy was evidently very much
behind in his studies, because he was accom-
panied by two small fellows six or seven years
of age whose dress indicated that they were IS
far along in their studies as he.
THE CHRIST CHURCH BOYS.
The joliest looking boys seen about town
are the picturesquely dressed students known
as the Christ church boys, or as blue coat
scholars. This is a free London school, es-
tablished for the education of orphans or the
children of parents whose income does not ex-
coed three hundred pounds a year. They
wear long, blue gowns, caught at the waist
with leather belt. At the neck is small
stand up collar and an English clergyman's
white tie coming down in little square piece
in front They wear knee breecheS under the
long, blue skirts, and dark yellow stockings
and low shoes with buckles. This school is
nearly three hundred years old. They are not
permitted to wear any hats summer or win
ter. They wear exactly the same uniform
prescribed for the students Of this school when
it was first established The best scholars
wear silver badges on their shoulders to indi-
cate their rank. These boys are great favor
ties with the London people. They are very
jolly, tough-looking youngsters, who ramble
all over the town during their play hours
Tbackeray and not few other prominent
Englshmen were Christ church boys.
1t is not the schoolboys alone who wear a
uniform or particular dress to mark their
calling. The bootblacks wear uniforms and
are regularly licensed. The charge of the
street bootolacks for shining your shoes ia
one penny. These boys wear red coats and a
red cap with black band about it. They
are also numbered and evidently have to pay
q license for the number. The newsbOys of
London make up the only class of street boys
engaged in service of any kind who do not
wear some distinguishing dress. The news
boys here wear the ragged street dress of
New York newsboys. think they are more
vociferous and noisy perhaps than even their
New York confreres. They stand about the
stations and at few particular places near
the newspaper offices of publication and shout
special" without attempting to give any
thing concerning the contents of the papers
they have to sell beyond holding in their
hands huge placard, upon which are bull
letined the principal items of the papers they
have for SALE
TELEGRAPH MESSENGERS